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What’s the story?
Indian para-athlete Sakina Khatun scripted history earlier today after winning the silver medal at the Para Powerlifting World Cup in Dubai in the Women's upto 45 kg category with a lift of 80kg.
The victory comes as a much-celebrated cause as Khatun, only last month threatened suicide over her non-inclusion in the 2018 Commonwealth Games squad.
In case you did not know
The 28-year-old was left out of the Indian contingent selected to represent the country at the Games, to be held in the Gold Coast, Australia. Sakina’s omission from the contingent came despite the athlete meeting the eligibility criteria as earmarked by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF).
Following the decision, Khatun, who is at the number two spot in the CWG and Asian rankings threatened to commit suicide in front of Indian Olympic Association (IOA), if her name was not re-considered for the mega-event.
The heart of the matter
Khatum bagged the silver with a tally of 80 points, while the gold medal was clinched by Polish para-athlete Justina Kozdryk with a best score of 90.
She had earlier entered the record books after becoming the only Indian para-athlete to clinch a medal at the Commonwealth Games till date, a bronze in lightweight category in Glasgow.
What’s next?
The discarded athlete had previously written to the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) for the inclusion of her name in the CWG. The PCI then forwarded a letter to the IOA asking it to request the Commonwealth Games (CWG) organising committee to accept her entry.
Khatun however, is yet to receive any response and it remains to be seen if she will indeed make the cut for this year’s CWG.
Author’s take
Khatun’s victory in the World Championship comes at a perfect time to justify her cause over the exclusion.
There have been several registered cases related to nepotism and discrimination over the years. The incident is indeed a setback for Indian athletics and it is of utmost importance that stern measures be taken against such fallacies.
